Customer Reviews

Survival

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While it is true that Bob Marley was not the FIRST Reggae singer, he was certainly the most famous.
This unique reggae beat, with the pulsations of black nationalism, was released in 1979, and has since make it's mark in the world of music. It starts with the hearty lamentation of "So Much Trouble in the World" and is followed by "Zimbabwe" which was a song of inspiration for Zimbabwe's guerrillas fighting for Black majority rule in that country during the Rhodesian War/ War of Independence. Marley performed at Zimbabwe's independence celebrations of 18 April 1980. He did not know that the performance on the first day would be reserved for the special guests of the new elite. When the masses tried to attend the concert they where tear-gassed and hounded out the stadium by Mugabe' s militia.

Marley responded by singing "War". The next day his performance was subdued as he was already disillusioned by the behaviour of the new Mugabe regime.

Today the song `Zimbabwe' is sung as an anthem of Zimbabwe's pro-democracy movement as are other Marley hits like ` Get Up, Stand Up"
It is clear that Marley would not have approved of the genocidal dictatorship that Mugabe built up, in the last 24 years, any more than he did the white minority government of Ian Smith.

There is the angry condemnation of the `Babylon System' and the Black Nationalist anthem " Survival" with the lyrics " Were the survivors! The Black survivors!"

This was one of my first albums so the heady beat of this album holds great memories for me.

"Africa Unite" is another is an ode to Marley's idealistic dreams of Pan African unity. And ` One Drop' is spiritual rendition of the longing for a true spiritual Rastafarian quest for authentic ideas of Haile Sellasie (the Christ of Rastafari) and Marcus Garvey.
" Give us the teachings of his majesty. We don't want no devil's philosophy"

You can always put your own interpretations and feelings into these songs , and my own conception of the sentence sung above may be different to that of most Marley devotees.

But then that only go's to show the genius of Bob Marley, doesn't it?

Bob was one of the only singer/songwriters that could sing about hardcore issues, and still keep the music brilliant and lively enough to not send his listeners into a mental depression.

On this, one of the Wailer's last albums(1979), Marley and the boys keep the hardcore political edge with *arresting* protest songs like "Zimbabwe," "Survival," "Top Rankin'," "Babylon System," and the classic "So Much Trouble In The World."

"Marley's contageous hopeful nature is exhibited in such uplifting tunes as "Africa Unite," and "One Drop."

One of the best, and politically hard-edged albums of the late '70s for sure.

Marley never let the Man influence His music, and he stuck with his vision until the end. One of the better men of the 20th century, as well as one of the better albums.

This is one of the very best of Bob Marley and The Wailers' (the first two were originally released under the group name The Wailers) original 11 Island-era albums. Definitely. (Survival and Exodus are probably the two best.) I own all of these albums on CD and vinyl, and my Marley collection in general is very, very extensive. SURVIVAL is so good that if I had to suggest three releases which include material released during the Island Era, they would be Songs of Freedom (the 4-CD career retrospective box set), Legend, and SURVIVAL. It is so good that seven of the songs from this album are on Songs of Freedom, (for one of them they put the 12" mix instead of the original), and there is an additional dub version of one of these songs on the SOF box set. It is such a good album, that if you consider yourself a fan of Island-era Marley, I guarantee that if you do not have this album already and you buy it, you will like it. "Zimbabwe," "Babylon System," "Africa Unite," "One Drop," "Ride Natty Ride," and "Ambush in the Night" are unstoppably awesome songs!! Just as "No Woman, No Cry [Lyceum, 1975]" is Marley's best LIVE recording, "Africa Unite" is arguably Marley's best Island-era STUDIO recording. It's very beautiful and deep. "Zimbabwe" may be the most important song Marley ever recorded. READ THE WORDS from the liner notes AS YOU LISTEN TO THE SONG! BM&tW were invited to play at the celebration of the opening of the independent country of Zimbabwe in 1980(, at which the people knew the words to this song better than the words of their own new national anthem)! What an honor! They were the only non-African-based musical group that played for the celebration. I have heard SO MANY Marley songs, and this is my favorite Bob Marley song! "Babylon System" is also beautiful and deep, including one unforgettable line which you will discover upon hearing it. "One Drop" is almost unbelievably beautiful. You will melt when you hear it. "Ambush" did not make it onto SOF, but is beautiful and deep. Then you have "So Much Trouble in the World," and "Survival," which have great lyrics, So Much is also quite rhythmic. "Top Rankin" also has great lyrics. Even the arguably weakest song on the album, "Wake Up and Live," has great lyrics.
"Africa Unite-Ambush" could be a candidate for the best four songs in a row on any original album, of all time. I own about 32 or 33 copies of SURVIVAL on vinyl, including all four original colored vinyl editions pressed only in Jamaica in 1979 [according to Catch a Fire biography]. By the way, if you own the SOF boxset, that contains the "bonus track," the 12" mix of Ride Natty Ride, which was put on the remastered version of SURVIVAL, so you would only need to get the old 10-track TUFF GONG version of SURVIVAL (although it is currently becoming increasingly difficult to get a still-sealed copy of the ten-track verszion of the CD). The 12" mix is a bit more rhythmic, as might be expected of a 12" mix supposedly intended for the dancefloor, but the original version is already a great song that needed no help.

None of the songs on the Survival album (as well as the Rastaman Vibration album) appear on Legend, the best-selling hits package for Bob Marley and the Wailers. However both these albums are just as good as Exodus of which five songs were chosen for Legend. *If you have Legend and are looking to buy another album, buy Survival and buy Rastaman Vibration and/or Babylon by Bus, their second live album which includes a few classic songs from Rastaman Vibration.*

This is one of the great recordings of all time. And I am not going to be an idiot and say but this or but that. But nothing. Bob Marley is the greatest popular musician of the 20th century. And this album was recorded at the peak of his creative powers. Make no mistake. This is the real deal.

This album reflects Bob's political stance, and is full of emotion! By far the best bob album ever! If you are new to Bob, i would start with Survival. A little less raw than previous albums, but no less powerful.

BOB MARLEY WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS IN HISTORY. ON THIS ALBUM THE REAL SOUL OF BOB MARLEY IS PORTRAYED. A GREAT MAN WITH ALOT OF AMBITION, BOB MARLEY GETS HIS REAL POINT ACROSS IN A CATCHY, FUN, YET EMOTIONALY INTENSE ALBUM. ITS JUST WONDERFUL, I RECOMEND IT TO ANY REAL REGGAE FAN!

it doesn't take much to figure out what the album's all about...just look at the cover - all african flags. given the album's release date, it's not surprising to find a song on a country then named "rhodesia" (zimbabwe) which had just declared independence from british rule and its birthpains. one would wonder what marley would think 23 years on. another song on zimbabwe? not a far fetched thought...whose side will he be on this time? go figure!

this should not sway a true blue fan from enjoying this set. reggae has always been political anyway. you're a lucky soul if you can manage to lay your hands on the version that has the 12" remix of "ride natty ride".

Bob Marley didn't invent reggae, nor was he the first to record it, but on this album he showed us what reggae *really* is. He recorded other fine albums in his life, but if you want to hear the essential Marley, this is it.

Blackness as godliness, independence, redemption, repatriation liberation, Third World, Africa. All of these are the topics and themes that are covered in this album. By far his most political album. Here he lays claim, through his African heritage, to speak for the oppressed black man and he stamps his authority on and gives musical support to African struggles for independence, unity and respect. It should not be a surprise to learn that many here and in Europe saw Survival as an album where the message swamped the music. It's interesting though because even as late as this - 1979, Bob was still struggling to be heard and appreciated by African Americans. Black DJ's were just not playing him. In Africa though, that's a different story. He was given a rapturous welcome in Zimbabwe and was invited to perform on Independence day.

Musically, Survival is heavy bass and drum rhythms. In fact you could call 'One Drop' an ode to the style because that is exactly what the signature reggae drum rhythm is called. Forget politics. There are some great listening songs on this album. 'So Much Trouble' 'Ride Natty Ride' and Wake up and Live' are lyrically powerful and musically wonderful. In addition to the message songs for Africa such as 'Zimbabwe' 'Africa Unite' and the title track, Bob sent a couple of musical shots in Jamaica's direction. 'Top Rankin' and 'Ambush in the Night' were directed at those responsible for the political violence in Jamaica, the latter song supposedly directed at those who shot bullets, not lyrics, at him in 1976.